1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to betting games suitable for casino play and, more particularly, to poker dice casino games.
2. Statement of the Problem
The game of poker is typically played with a single deck of cards. In Stud Poker variations, each player receives a predetermined number of unique cards. In Hold""em Poker variations, community cards are utilized. In Draw Poker variations, players are given the opportunity to replace their cards from the unused pack. Cards need not be the only device which provides the means for rank and suit. Dice, too, have this feature.
In conventional poker dice, five poker dice whose six sides bear playing-card denominations (i.e., ace, king, queen, jack, ten and nine) are used. However, conventional dice can also be used in poker dice with ace being high followed by the numbers six, five, four, three, and two in that order. The one number may or may not be wild. In conventional play, after the first throw of the five dice, a player may stand pat or may draw (as in Draw Poker) by throwing one, two, or three dice again. The object of poker dice is to secure any combination such as five-of-a-kind, four-of-a-kind, full house, straight, three-of-a-kind, two pair, one pair. Scarne""s xe2x80x9cNew Complete Guide to Gamblingxe2x80x9d (1974).
Indeed, the popular game trademarked YAHTZEE by Hasbro, Inc. is basically a draw poker variation in which the players are allowed, twice, to xe2x80x9creplacexe2x80x9d existing rolls of five dice. Likewise, the casino games of Chuck-a-Luck and Sic Bo employ poker-like rankings with varying payoffs for obtaining one-, two-, or three-of-a-kind with a single roll of three dice. Likewise, the casino game of Craps refers to a pair occurring with the roll of two dice as xe2x80x9cthe hard wayxe2x80x9d and, for several wagers, differentiates this total from an xe2x80x9ceasyxe2x80x9d one. Some commercial recreational game products assign various card values to the faces of six-sided dice. These are used, in conjunction with subsequent rolls, to construct a xe2x80x9cpoker hand.xe2x80x9d
A continuing need exists for new casino games and, in particular, for modifications and improvements to poker, dice, and poker dice that can be used for wagering, bonusing, and/or as a payoff dispensing mechanism. A continuing need exists to provide new and exciting bonus conditions for players of underlying games.
A further need exists to adopt the conventional home game of YAHTZEE, and other similar home games to a gaming environment such as is found in casinos. In conventional YAHTZEE games, a hand is assigned a score which is entered onto a pad of paper called a xe2x80x9cscore cardxe2x80x9d and all scores entered are similar in size. In the YAHTZEE game, a xe2x80x9csmall straightxe2x80x9d box in the score card scores 30 points whenever four of the five rolled dice result in a sequence of four numbers. A xe2x80x9clarge straightxe2x80x9d box is scored 40 points whenever all five of the rolled dice result in a sequence of five numbers. The YAHTZEE box is scored 50 points when the five rolled dice show xe2x80x9c5 of a Kind.xe2x80x9d A xe2x80x9cchancexe2x80x9d box is scored when the player chooses to sum the values of the five dice together. In the YAHTZEE game, each player is allowed a maximum of three rolls although the player may stop after the first or second roll. For the second and third rolls, the player may selectively hold none, any or all the dice. A need exists in a corresponding casino game based on the YAHTZEE game to provide a broad range of payoffs from small to jackpot amounts. In conventional YAHTZEE games some scores are fixed (e.g., 30 points) and other scores are variable (e.g., sum of dice). A need exists in a corresponding casino game to simplify the scoring so as to eliminate any confusion especially for new players. In a YAHTZEE game one hand occurs quickly and a typical game of thirteen hands is lengthy. A need exists in a corresponding casino game to adapt the length of the game to be comparable to other conventional casino games. A conventional YAHTZEE game also requires skill by a player. A need exists in a corresponding casino game to play the game with no skill, but retain suspense and excitement. Finally, need exists to adopt a popular game such as YAHTZEE to a wagering game providing a fair house advantage to the casino.
1. Solution to the Problem. The present invention solves the above problems by providing (1) methods for wagering on and playing a poker dice game, (2) methods for providing bonusing games for underlying casino games, and (3) methods for dispensing payoffs.
The present invention also solves the above problems by providing a method for wagering on and playing a casino poker dice game either as a stand-alone game or as a bonus game for an underlying gaming machine. In a preferred method of play suitable for video adaptation as a bonus game for a gaming device, money, gaming chips, credits, or their equivalent may be wagered. Buttons, either on screen or adjacent to the monitor, are provided for players to indicate their choices. An executable computer software program, or a hardware equivalent such as an EPROM, brokers the casino game of the present invention according to the rules of play. A number of bonusing conditions initiate the bonus game of the present invention which can also be used to initiate other types of bonus games. In a second preferred method of play, a game table or a gaming machine is used to play the poker dice game as a stand-alone game.
The present invention, in part, adapts the conventional home game of YAHTZEE to the casino environment as a bonusing game in a variety of embodiments. The present invention differentiates hands and assigns payoff values in a broad range from minimal values to jackpot values. The payoff values provide clarity in that the payoff values are all fixed or all variable. The length of the casino game varies under different embodiments of the present invention. A one-hand version of the game is designed for players experienced in the standard YAHTZEE game. Another version of the game of the present invention is designed to play successive hands in order to avoid chance. And a third version of the game of the present invention provides a limited score card. Finally, the present invention provides a casino game in which no skill is involved, but which provides moves that build suspense and retain excitement.
2. Summary of the Invention. A method for playing a stand-alone and a bonus casino poker dice having X dice, each of the X dice having F faces with a different symbol thereon so as to form a set {S} of symbols on each of the X dice. The method of the present invention includes the steps of placing a wager; rolling the dice; holding none, any, or all of the rolled dice; ending the casino poker dice game when the dice are all held or when re-rolling occurs Y times; paying any winning combinations of symbols based on the placed wager and in response to the step of ending the game; re-rolling the non-held dice when less than all the X dice are held; and repeating various of these steps until the game ends. Variations on this basic method are set forth for stand-alone games, bonus games used in conjunction with underlying gaming machines or games, and playing a bonus game of the present invention in parallel with an underlying game so that a number of hands are played.